Decoding Santa Claus: How ‘Christmassy’ will be Christmas without him ‘jingling’ your way

It's again that time of the year when celebrations are peaking, the world is merrier, families are planning holidays and children are wishing for their beloved Santa Claus to gift them goodies. From across the world, people of all age groups have thronged Santa Claus Village in Finland's Rovaniemi to experience for once, in reality, something which always existed as a fiction.

But as Christmas comes around, a weird anxiousness seems to envelop the elders who worry about whether children, who believe in the existence of Santa Claus, should be told the truth or should they be left to believe the legend and enjoy their childhood innocence and happiness.

The debate over Santa's existence, and how important he is in Christmas, can go on endlessly.But can we really imagine Christmas without Santa? Was he never a part of our childhood? Or were those hopes really futile?

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Poet Emily Dickson wrote of "Hope” as the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul." To hope is to try to live amid the battles and difficulties we face every day.

Santa's existence is what gives hope to children. In a world mired with conflicts, Santa's impending arrival is awaited, prepared for and celebrated. Amid conflicts, chaos and uncertainties, how many symbols of hope does this world really have—if not Santa?

How did Santa Claus come into our lives?

Coca-Cola has generally been linked with the creation of the image of Santa Claus when they created the iconic image of a man wearing a red suit, sporting a white beard on hisruddy cheeks. But the man who inspired this jolly figure was a generous bishop St Nicholas who existed in AD 280.

The 'man' behind the 'myth'

The history of Saint Nicholas has been steeped deep in the Christmas traditions in the form of 'merry Santa Claus' who is loved by all. He is known to save three sisters from getting sold and then pushed into slavery or prostitution by their father. His popularity rose to no heights and he became the protector of children and sailors.

St. Nicholas became a prominent part of American popular culture at the end of the 18th century and got the nickname 'Sinter Klaas', whose stories were narrated and loved by all. In some time, 'Sinter Klass' became the newly-popular Santa Claus, which slowly turned a compulsory part of Christmas traditions.

Watch:Christmas 2023: Up, close and personal with Finland's Santa Claus

So, can we do away with Santa?

Two professors of psychology Candice Mills and Thalia R. Goldstein conducted a research titled 'There Are Better Ways to Talk With Your Kids About Santa' which was published in The New York Times.

A major finding of their research was that even those who came to know about Santa's non-existence were temporarily disappointed but soon their focus shifted to other aspects of the celebrations and some were even relieved to have solved the complicated puzzle.

Santa is a cherished hope which brings joy in the minds of children and inspires them to trod a better path so that they are not deprived of their gifts. It's a harmless figure of love, kindness and celebration which is full of glee and only brings smiles to the faces of people who wish to believe.

Just like Dickinson's description of hope, Santa is a happy hope that comes to all of us at the end of the year when we sit and ponder about all the difficult paths we crossed in that one year. Maybe, we can have that one 'sweet' hope – even though it's magical and may remain untouched like stars in the sky.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)